The invention relates to a device for exchanging heat, in particular for cooling the combustion air of internal combustion engines in motor vehicles. Such devices for exchanging heat, which are also referred to as charge air coolers, are used to cool the combustion air of an internal combustion engine. However, the invention can also be applied to other heat exchangers.
In this context, combustion air, which has a high temperature level due to compression, is directed through the device and cooled down using a refrigerating agent, which also flows through the device. DE 199 27 607 discloses devices in which the combustion air is directed through the device through a plurality of pipes in order to exchange heat and which have a feed means and a discharge means for a refrigerating agent, as a result of which this refrigerating agent flows around the pipes. In order to ensure that between the pipes there are distances through which the refrigerating agent can flow, in the prior art the ends of the pipes are widened so that the pipes are each respectively spaced apart from one another.
However, this method of manufacture has the disadvantage that the individual pipes have to be aligned very precisely with one another and the soldering together of the device is technically very complex. In addition, it is known to construct the housing of such devices from two components, for example in such a way that it has a U-shaped base body as well as a cover which is inserted into this base body. However, this procedure has the disadvantage that the cover can move in relation to the base, which adversely effects the fabrication precision.